|
STRONG HEART SOCIETY
"Connecting with our native past for a better future."
The Sared Path Society is an organization which was formed to preserve and share the culture of the Native Americans.
Since 1990 members of this group, which includes persons with or without tribal affilation or ancestors, have worked to edcate
the public about the various contributions, beliefs and customs of our native brothers and sisters.
It is the purpose of the Sacred Path Society ( a nonprofit organization) for our families and others, to preserve, protect,
enhance, and propagate our Native American Heritage: to teach and demonstrate the history, culture, arts and crafts of our
ancestors, to share our personal pride and ancestral knowledge in social settings and community events, to continually research
and keep up with current affairs at large and on the reservations, to lecture on our culture and ideas, to perform appropriate
dance, music, and ceremony, ultimately to build, own and operate a museum and trading post and/ or cultural center, to host,
attend and promote interibal events.
Our newsletter subscriptions and members extend into many states, including many in Indian Country.
POW WOWS: These social gatherings are for dancing, singing, visiting, renewing old and making new friendships. Most times,
the public is invited, as these are wonderful opportunities for us to educate the general public about our beautiful customs,
dances and crafts. The annual (open to the public).........
GIVEAWAYS: A tradition which date very far back, the Sacred Path Society participates in many giveaways to Native American
organizations and individual families during the year, on and off the reservations.
PROGRAMS: Representatives of our group will perform demonstration programs for civic, educational and other groups. These
programs consist of dancing, singing, storytelling and craft demonstrations.........Dispelling modren myths, teaching primitive
skills and earth knowledge. Traditional and ceremonial herbalism/ shamanistic arts, and native philosophies.....individual
members from time to time write for our newsletter. This is a great opportunity to learn about Native American Crafts including
quill work, bead work, flintnapping, leather work and other interesting crafts.......
OUR NEWSLETTER: The Sacred Path Society News is published bi-monthly and will give you dates for all activities and meeting
in ddition to some thought- provoking poems, artwork, and literature regaurding history of the Native Peoples of today and
yesterday. News from all over the United States and Canada on all native groups and tribes........
Membership in the Sacred Path Society is not dependent on tribal affiliation or ancestry.
Subscription Rates: $10 per year associate
The newsletter contains a membership and information about how you can become a member or help the Sacred Path Society
achieve it's goal Donations are tax deductible............
|
 |
We are instructed to carry love for one another,
And to show great respect for all beings of the earth.
We
must stand together, the four sacred colors of man,
as the one family that we are,
in the interest of peace....
Our
energy is the combined will of all the people
With the spirit of the natural world,
To be of one body, one heart, and
one mind.
Chief Leon Shenandoah (Onondaga)
HAUDENOSAUNEE
Haudenosaunee means People Building a Long House. That Long House is a way of life where the many native nations
live in peace under one common law.
We are the first United Nations in this land and operate under the oldest,continualy-operating form of government, called
the Grand Council of the Haudenosaunee.
Our purpose is to bring you straight forward information about us and to counteract the disinformation
being spread by people who want to destroy the last remaining traditional government among the Indigenous people of this land.
At the same time, we want to share our real concerns about the future of our people.
Ten Important Points to Remember About the Haudenosaunee:
We
exist as distinct peoples in the 20th century. The Haudenosaunee are unique in that we maintain one of the very few traditional
governments in North America, free from the oppression of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and free from the lunacy of tribal
elections. Our leaders are selected according to the oldest constitutional democratic systems.
We live a contemporary lifestyle and are not frozen in the past. While we still maintain practices that are rooted
in the past, we apply those practices to define our place in the modern world. Our traditional culture is forward thinking,
to assure our long-term survival. Our culture allows us to deal with the realities of the modern world, not by embracing any
new fad, but continuing to absorb new traditions on our own terms.
We, like
other peoples, continue to maintain our culture. Culture is not just the relics of the past, but patterns of thought and cycles
of behavior that form the basic building blocks of our lives.
We, like other
peoples, have our own world view. To say we are Haudenosaunee means that we have deep seated beliefs in our traditions and
are committed to their survival. We are connected to a living earth and a spiritual universe. We have sacred duties to fulfill.
We continue to live on portions of our original territories. Our lands were never conquered
by outsiders. We never consented to American or Canadian authority over our territories. Our lands were never placed in trust
with the United States, as are most other Indian reservations. Our current territories were defined by four federal treaties.
We maintain our distinct laws and customs. Within our territories, where the Council of Chiefs
are the sole governing authority, our own laws are in place, not the laws of the United States or Canada. We operate the Grand
Council of Chiefs of the Six Nations under the Great Law of Peace which promotes peace, power and righteousness.
We have made many contributions to world culture. The Haudenosaunee have been instrumental
in colonial history. After two hundred years of contact, the emerging American settlers adopted many Iroquoian ideas and practices
in order to survive in our land.
We have a unique relationship to the United
States and other nations. The federal treaties we have are very distinctive and provide the Haudenosaunee with a special status
in Indian law. We maintain a government to government relations. We are not wards of the United States. We are independent
nations, sovereign and free in our own territories.
The portrayal of Indians
in the media perpetuates stereotypes that effect our relationships to non-Indians. Most people are seriously uniformed about
the Haudenosaunee because of distorted textbooks, misguided movies and biased history books. Seldom have people been able
to hear directly from the recognized traditional people of the Haudenosaunee to counteract the negative racial and cultural
stereotypes perpetuated by American popular culture.
We are committed to maintaining
our survival as distinct peoples. We believe that the lessons from Creation; the guidance of the Original Instructions; the
unity of the Great Law of Peace, and the moral imperatives of the Gaiwiio provide the roadmap to our future
Who Are the Haudenosaunee?
Haudenosaunee is the general term
we use to refer to ourselves, instead of "Iroquois." The word "Iroquois" is not a Haudenosaunee word. It is derived from a
French version of a Huron Indian named that was applied to our ancestors and it was considered derogatory, meaning "Black
Snakes." Haudenosaunee means "People building an extended house" or more commonly referred to as "People of the Long House."
The longhouse was a metaphor introduced by the Peace Maker at the time of the formation of the Confederacy meaning that the
people are meant to live together as families in the same house. Today, this means that those who support the traditions,
beliefs, values and authority of the Confederacy are to be known as Haudenosaunee.
The founding constitution of the Confederacy that brought the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, and Mohawk nations
under one law. Together they were called the Five Nations by the English, and Iroquois by the French. The Tuscarora joined
around 1720, and collectively they are now called the Six Nations.
We also
refer to ourselves as "Ongwehonweh," meaning that we are the "Original People" or "First People" of this land. The Haudenosaunee
is actually six separate nations of people who have agreed to live under the traditional law of governance that we call the
Great Law of Peace. Each of these nations have their own identity. In one sense, this is our "nationalities." Many of the
names that we have come to know the tribes by are not even Indian words, such as Tuscarora or Iroquois. The original member
nations are:
Seneca, "Onondowahgah," meaning The People of the Great Hill,
also referred to as the Large Dark Door.
Cayuga, "Guyohkohnyoh," meaning The
People of the Great Swamp.
Onondaga, "Onundagaono," meaning The People of the
Hills.
Oneida, "Onayotekaono," meaning The People of the Upright Stone.
Mohawk, "Kanienkahagen," meaning The People of the Flint.
Tuscarora, known as "Ska-Ruh-Reh" meaning the Shirt Wearing People.
What are the Underlying Values of Haudenosaunee Culture?
Our
culture is a way of thinking, a way of feeling, but also an intuitive way of problem solving and a unique way to express ourself
in the world. The Haudenosaunee call all of this "Ongwehonweka" meaning all the things that pertain to the way of life of
the Original People. Ongwehonweka includes all of the values, mores, ethics, philosophy and beliefs that we have inherited
from our ancestors.VALUESThere are shared values held by each generation that contribute to the concept of the self.
Values are shared principles that are considered important in life, that include:Thinking collectively, considering the future generations.Consensus
in decision making, considering all points of view.Sharing of the labor
and benefits of that labor.Duty to family, clan, nation, Confederacy and
Creation.Strong sense of self-worth without being egotistic.People must learn to be very observant of the surroundings.Everyone is equal and is a full partner in the society, no matter what their age.The ability to listen is as important as the ability to speak.Everyone
has a special gift or talent that can be used to benefit the larger community.MORESThere are mores that are the customs that are considered essential to maintaining the characteristics
of the community:Clanship relations and names are important. Clan identity
impacts on nearly all aspects of the social, political and spiritual organization of the community.Council Chiefs protect the welfare of the people.Clan Mothers
maintain social harmony.Faithkeepers keep the ritual order moving.Annual cycles of thanksgiving help establish order and rhythm.The arts connect the generations in spirit.The native languages
are the keys to the expression of the soul.ETHICSThere are ethics that are the moral philosophy and principles that determine what is right and
what is wrong in the mind of the traditional Haudenosaunee:To be generousTo shareTo show respectTo honor othersTo love
your familyTo live in peaceTo be honestTo feed othersTo be thankfulTo be hospitableTo be kindTo
be cooperativeTo live in harmony with natureTo ignore evil or idle talkPHILOSOPHYThe philosophy of the Haudenosaunee is the search for understanding of the basic truths
of the native universe. It is how the Haudenosaunee have come to understand their role in the world and the important lessons
that understanding teach:There is a Creator who produced the things that
give bounty to this life.The universe is full of living beings - sun,
moon, stars, earth, winds, and rain.There is a living spirit in all things
- animals, plants, minerals, water, and winds.People have power, called
orenda, that accumulates through life experiences.People should live in
peace with each other.People should live in harmony with nature.People should be thankful everyday.People
should be kind, sharing what they have.Life is a journey, as people are
born from the earth, exist on the earth and are returned to the earth to continue that journey after death.BELIEFSBelief is simply the feeling that something is real and true. The Haudenosaunee trust and have
confidence in their beliefs about the universe, about the spiritual powers of that universe and about how humans are to conduct
themselves on their journey through life. To believe is a conscious act that effect the way we see the world. Art, in broad
terms of language, music, dance, and making things, is the act by which we manifest belief, express the unseen parts of the
world, and express our own personalities of people living in the world. The Haudenosaunee beliefs include the following:I) The Universe is large a large sphere that is divided in the Skyworld above and the Underwater
World below. In the middle plane of that sphere rests the earth, which is like an island floating on the back of a giant turtle.II) The celestial bodies and forces of that universe are living entities with a inner spirit
that can be beneficial to humans if proper respect is paid to them. All people have a spiritual obligation to perform the
rituals of thanksgiving in order to assure the harmony of the universe can be maintained.III) The Great Creator has sent three main spiritual messages to the Haudenosaunee after the Creation. These were the
Four Sacred Dances, the Great Law of Peace and the Gaiwiio, or Code of Handsome Lake.IV) The children of the Haudenosaunee are born within a Circle of Tradition, but that birthright also requires duty
to maintain that circle. Those that join another religion, become citizens of foreign countries or work against the general
welfare of the people are considered to have removed themselves from within this circle. Those that do, leave all of the rights
of the Haudenosaunee behind.V) Talent is a gift from the Creator that is meant
to be used for the sake of the entire community and not self-engrandizment.
|
